If Jon Strother is the father of #fridayflash, Laura Eno is the den mother.
She is the encourager, the supporter, the cheerleader, the helper. Everyone loves Laura – I mean, how could you not? (Need more Laura? Visit her blog A Shift In Dimension.)
And as well as being a sort of virtual Mother Theresa, Laura is also a mighty fine writer, one of the best on the flash circuit. Her stories are often the first stories other flashers turn to and she often garners more comments than the rest of us put together.
I have come to admire her for a number of things and, frankly, I'm a little in awe. When I get an e-mail from her, it's like having an audience with the Queen. Only the queen is friendly and down-to-earth and a lot like me – only better!
I was pretty darned happy when Laura sent me her "love story," how she met up with husband Rick. And check out that wedding photo – hard to believe that sweet little princess bride could ever come up with all those raunchy Death and Chronos stories.
Without further adieu, Mizz Eno:
When my husband and I first met, he was the DJ playing '70s music at a club in San Diego from 8 – midnight. I worked a second job collecting the cover charge at the same club but for a different promoter…midnight – 4am for Reggae music.
The first night I walked into the club, Rick left the booth and tried to talk to me but I wasn't interested—I was there to work, not chat. He went back to the booth and played "Brown Eyed Girl", dedicating it to me. In his defense, the lights in a club make it hard to see but I have blue eyes, which I promptly told him in a dismissive way. After that, he tried harder to get my attention. Being used to groupie types that hung around his booth, I must have fascinated him.
After a couple of weeks of this, I finally gave him my phone number. He never called. We'd see each other at the club and it became a running joke about whether he would actually call or not. This went on for three months. During that time we became friends, which was a nice change instead of the usual date first, before you know the person.
Finally, one night he asked if I wanted to go have coffee when I got off. I said yes and he hung around until 4am, walked me to my black car and said he'd meet me there. I sat in the restaurant for 20 minutes with him a no-show. Just as I was about to leave, he walked in and said he'd been driving around the parking lot, but didn't see my white car so thought I wasn't here.
Our first actual date was to a private party at another club. Inside there was a split hallway for the restrooms and half-flight basement. He was so busy watching me walk away in my mini-skirt that he fell down the stairs. The keys in his pocket left a bruise for weeks.
This was Laura & Rick's wedding song. Laura says listening to it still gives her chills.
As I prepare for my own September 25 wedding I would love to share your own love stories. Send them to me here, at Love Central. I promise I will treat your words with tender – loving – care.
